Specializing in (but not confined to) psychedelic music from the past five decades.

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Tomorrow (1968)

Tomorrow are a prime example of classic British psychedelia. The band's most notable members were guitarist Steve Howe (later of Yes...yup, Yes), singer/songwriter Keith West, and drummer Twink, who would become a fixture in the British psychedelic scene, playing with the likes of the Pretty Things and the Pink Fairies. Twink also had an extremely brief stint in a band called Stars with Syd Barret, but Barret apparently walked off stage halfway through their first live performance. In the midst of Tomorrow's existence, West would find success in releasing solo singles, including "Excerpt From a Teenage Opera" which would reach number two on the British charts. To some extent, his solo career led to the demise of Tomorrow. Tomorrow is the band's only album and has come to be praised as a psychedelic cornerstone. The songwriting is top-notch with excellent instrumentation, lyrics, and occasional far-out psychedelic effects (primarily on the famous, "My White Bicycle"). The album includes a rendition of "Strawberry Fields Forever," which comes close to eclipsing the original Beatles' version. Just for the fun of it, I've posted the original version of "My White Bicycle" and a cover by Nazareth, of "Love Hurts" and "Hair of the Dog" fame. Now you're messin' with a son of a bitch.